Sign stand for displaying posters



Nov. 23, 1948. H. GREEN Y 24,454,648

SIGN STAND FOR DISPLAYING POSTERS Filed June 11, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Tull. *il d'7 8 5'@ JQ-f /JO w .4 -Jg v ZZ/fA 28 16 l v1 v VENTORy Hermia Gf'eezz 59 :d2 BY /IATTORNEY NOV. 23, 1948. ||,-GREEN i 2,454,648

SIGN STAND FOR DISPLAYING POSTERS l Filed June '11, 1946 V 2-She9tSSheet 2 l l 4j q 47 y q 47 38 37 f Zi '5 58 48 y J3 8 I N V E NTO R Herman Greef@ ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 23, 1948 ITED STATES PATENT 0 FFII-CE v2,454,648 Y ISIGN STANDTOR rDISPLAYI'NG POSTERS .Hermanreen, .Gremien City, lN. Y., assigner @to Eity .Tank ...Corporation Conona, `Long Island, N. LY., a corporation Voi? 'NewlYork `A'mlii-,a'tion EI-une 511, 1946, Seral'Nm 46755,94?!

` 4 Claims.

This Vinvention relates to a :sign Istand; more particularly to .a `stand .and `frame "for displaying posters, billboard material or the like.

It is an object of my :invention toprovide a fsign stand whereby :sheeting .such `as paper :bearing ladvertising matter, posters'orbillboard'material may be `displayed Aout 'of doors, "such as the sidewalk portion `adjacent localities Wheregasoline products are vended, and to provide a stand whereby-.poster material, either light i'1v-eight lcardboard, :paper and the like, may be held-n position ,in a neat and tautened lcondition, .and rapid change mayebe leffected :without lrequiring the of abillboard paper hanger, and theattendantjpastnstoperation in applying billboard material.

More particular-1y, my :invention has for its object the provision of a -sign-stand whereby billboard material, poster paper or ythe .like y.may tbe heldin the frame fof a sign :stand mechanically, and to have the .sign resist `the'stresses :encountered by Aexposure to the weather., without rthe necessity Afor unduly weighting the esta-nd en going through the laborious =operationlof pasting such billboard, .poster paper-.or the like in position. .It is contemplated by my `invention to provide .a :sign standin which a .frame element .is yieldably .supported to swing in the wind uand restore itself -to normal position, whereby yit may `perform Vits function for ladvertising Jpurposes Without the necessity for anchoring Vor `runduly weighting the stand.

.Still further .objects of .fmy linvention reside .in the provision .of azsign stand Whic'hmay be shipped 4in a knock-down .condtion, .and Vwhich 4is readily installed and =setupfby the Ause of fsmple tools -to a rigid condition, while involving low costmanufacturing and assembly operations.

To .attain .these objects .and such `further objects as may appear herein or 1be hereinafter pointedout, Imake reference tothe accompanying drawing Vforminga part hereof, in .Which-- Eigure 1 lis a perspective `view showing my 4sign stand;

Figure .2 is a .magnified .fragmentary section taken .on the .line .2-.2 of Figure ,1;

'Figure .3 -is .a fragment-ary `inagniedsi-de ele- Vation .taken .on `the .line 3-3 of .Figure 2.;

Figure 4 is a .front elevation of bthesign stand.;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary magnified sectional View taken on theline :li-Spf Figure 4;

Figure 6 is e fragmentary perspective --view ofthe irame of the :standrwith the parts thereof vopened to chow the .operation thereof;

Figure 7 :is a perspective exploded 'view tthe base and upright, 'with vsome of the 'parts thereof thereof.

Makingizeference to the-drawing, thereis fshown asignstand AI0 comprising base members .II snpporting spaced uprights ft2-lf2., between which a :frame member fI-3 -is supported. Itf-s contemplated by lme to employ .bent lsheet metal to isecu-re lightness of Weight, -Without `sacrificing rigidity, whereby .the webs and ,flanges of these members are )nested to facilitate assembly and fadd zstrength and rigidity.

lnzacoordance withithis concept, the zbase members If! .constitute Webs 44, having side `branches I,5,=t,o provide epaoedffieet 16,. perphera'LIlange I extended irorn the body thereof VArigidifles the webs l M :and merges medially :into an extension I8, from :which is stamped or--.cut :the upwardly directed bracing tongue 19, to iproyicle a slot :20. The :resultant construction provides .a .loop :arranged to receive the upright AI2 comprising a channel deined by the web 21 and thesiderflanges ZZ--ZL terminating into a .rectangular .end l23. The opposite end Aof the upright I2 .-is tapered at 24 and iscapped with ya plate r25 by `Welding. A boring f2@ `provides va Abear-ing :for the trunnion -2-'I, supporting the .ange I3., aswill be described .in greater detail hereafter.

A :cross bar 28 is :generally -of Y U-shaped channel construction and has its Y opposite ends :2:9 provided with rend ,plates 30 .each of which is Vpreferably welded tothe cross bar .Z8 .in :butt-joint engagement with Aan end 29 thereof.

The webs I4 and 2| `and the plates `3B .are each formed with pairs .of drill holes 3l 32 and 33, reepectinely, each pair `equally .spaced so -as to .be aligned'when the Webauprights andcross bar Yare assembled as hereafter described.

'With th-.e parts so provided, the .upright I2 is slid into the loop 2D. The plates 340- are designed to .-nest snuglybetween the anges I2.2-22 -of the upright I2. 4In this position the drill holes` 3|, 32 and v33 are in .alignment and have had .passed therethrough the bolts 34. The Shanks of 4these bolts have applied thereto the nuts `35, .to .hold the uprights looselyin position.

The Yframe ,member I3, ,previously mentioned, is constituted. -of formed angles .3.6, .-31, whose branches 38, 39 peripherally outline .the .illustrained rectangular fr-.ame by mitering. IThe branches 4.0 and 4I are larranged zcontiguoiisly, sandwichi-ng a backing plate 42, ,and in this lposition are welded, :riveted or otherwise connected :to each other.

The branches i4!) fand 4l inwardly terminate into lsemicircular Asegments 4.3 and 44 providing more or less a cylindrical bead 45 which bulges symmetrically to opposite sides of the backing plate l42. A strap 46 is welded or otherwise attached to the peripheral edges of the branches 3B and 39 of the angle irons 36 and 31. A substantially U-shaped strap 41, having branches 48 and 49, is attached to the upper peripheral edge of the strap 46 encircling the frame thus iar described.

Each of the branches 48 and 49 carries a trunnion 21, previously described, aligned in opposed relationship, each to enter a bearing 26 provided in the uprights I2. The trunnions 21 are positioned nearer the upper edge of the frame I3 than the center to weight the frame in a vertical position, however permitting easy pivotal movement about the trunnions 21 in the bearings 2B afford no greater resistance to a gust of wind. After each trunnion 21 is inserted in the respective bearing 26, the nuts 35 are tightened on the bolts rigidly, to bind the uprights I2 to the base members II.

The bottom of the external frame I3 is provided with corner straps 41, welded or otherwise attached to the peripheral strap 46.

To the strap 41 there is affixed a pair of U- shaped straps whose upright branches 52-52 terminate in offset sections 53, 53, to provide stops for the internal locking frames 54. 'I'hese frames 54 are formed of angle members 55, having ilanges 56 arranged to nest in parallelism with the branches S8, 39 of the external frame I3. Inwardly directed branches 51 terminate in substantially semi-circular ridge portionsy 58, contoured substantially concentric to the beads 43, 44, previously described. The locking frames 54 are of a size and configuration conforming to the outer main frame defined by the angle irons 36, and 31, to be nested therein and to receive within the ridge portion 58 the beaded portion formed by the loops 43 and 44.

The locking frames 54 may each sandwich a billboard sheet or poster sheet 59, and when brought together, wedge the terminal portions 69 between the ridges 58 and the beads formed by the portions 43 and 44. Tensioning of the frames 54, 54 toward each other against the backing plate 42 serves to tauten the billboard paper or poster 59 against the backing plate 42.

To maintain the aforesaid tautened positioned resilient fasteners 6I are employed. I have found it desirable to use a form of cowl fastener including a shank 62, which may pass through aligned drill vholes in the flanges 40, 4I and the branches 51 `of the locking frame 54. In the illustration six such cowl fasteners are illustrated. In the form illustrated the shank of each of the cowl fasteners is revolubly anchored in one frame, such as the branch 51, with the locking end 62 having the camming slot 53 arranged to engage the cross spring member 54, the ends of which are permanently affixed diametrically across the drill holes previously mentioned on the opposite branch 51 of the locking frame. A cowl fastener known under the tradename Dzus has been found suitable for my purposes, though it will be understood that other resilient tensioning fasteners may be employed by me.

It will be observed that by my device, the outer or external frame defined by the backing plate 42 and the beaded flanges 43 and 44, coupled with the inner locking frames 54 carrying the ridges 58, billboard material 59 in the form of paper, posters or the like may be tautened against the backing 42. By the provision of resilient fastening elements, the interengaging beads stretch the sheeted material 59 in smooth and drum-tight tension, without the application of paste to the backing plate 42. Vendors servicing these signs need only unfasten the resilient fastening element 6I which permit the frames 54 to pivot as shown in Figure 6, to the point where they rest against the stops 52. In this position, the flexible sheet 59 may be centered, and as one of the frames 54 is moved to the nesting position, progressively pinching the sheet 54 first at the bottom edge by the use of the stops 52 and then at the side and top edges. The operator in holding the two opposed frames against the backing plate y42 may thereupon adjust the fasteners 6I with the desired resilient tension, to hold the frame in assembled relationship.

Flexibility is afforded to the frame assembly I3, which is pivoted by the trunnions 21 on the upright I2. Free. and easy swinging movement is afforded by the off-center suspension of the frame assembly I3. Thus, rigid anchoring of the entire sign assembly or weighting the same in position for all practical purposes is unnecessary as the frame assembly I3 will respond to any puff of wind and yieldingly swing with it rather than upset the sign assembly. As the Wind dies down, the frame swings back to ythe normal vertical position.

In this Way I have provided an exterior sign stand which may be readily shipped in knockeddown condition and quickly assembled, and provided in the assembled position the rigidity requisite for its intended purpose.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a sign, a frame assembly for displaying and mechanically holding on opposite faces thereof sheets of paper having advertising matter comprising an external frame element formed of a pair of symmetrical frame elements, each frame element being formed of angle sections, one

branch lof said angle sections forming the periphery of the frame element, the other branch being inwardly directed contiguous to the cooperating frame element and united thereto, holding therebetween a backing plate, symmetrical locking plates, each nested within the frame defined by the rst pair of frame elements and resilient locking means engaging said inwardly directed branches, said locking frames comprising angular sectional elements, one branch of which is arranged to lie in parallelism with the peripheral branch of the irst frame element. the other branch of said locking frame section including a locking head cooperating with said first frame element to tauten the sheeting material against the backing plate.

2. In a sign frame assembly for mechanically holding on opposite faces thereof sheets of paper having advertising matter or the like, comprising an external frame element formed -of a pair of symmetrical frame elements, each of which elements is formed of angle sections substantially at right angles having the branches thereof sub-` stantially at right angles to each other, one branch forming the periphery of the frame, and the other being inwardly directed, a backing plate between said frames joined to said inwardly directed branches of said frames, a beaded segment formed on said inwardly directed branches, symmetrical locking plates, each formed of angle sections, the branches whereof are substantially at right angles to each other, one branch whereof being inwardly directed, with the terminal edges beaded and complementary to the beaded sections of said first angle sections whereby said beaded sections may be brought in nesting position, resilient fastening means for joining said frame sections to nest said beaded sections about the edges of said sheets of paper to tauten the same with relation to said backing plate, means for pivoting said nested sections including abutment members adjacent one edge of said frame assembly whereby the sheets of paper may be progressively pinched in position between complementarily nested elements.

3. In a sign stand having a frame assembly for holding on opposite faces thereof sheets of poster material, in which said frame has trunnion elements extending from each side thereof and uprights having bearing portions within which said trunnions are journalled, said uprights comprising sheet metal formed into channel members, a pedestal assembly for said uprights comprising base members formed of sheet metal comprising a web member, peripheral flanges extended laterally therefrom dening a loop at a medial portion to receive the base of one of said uprights, a cross member having end plates each of which is nested within the channel of one of said uprights whereby said web of said base, the

uprights and the end plates are stacked in faceto-face contact, and tie members.to hold said stacked elements together.

4. In a sign stand having a frame assembly and uprights of channel sections and trunnion elements extended from said frame assembly journalled in said uprights, the combination therewith of a pedestal assembly for said uprights comprising a pair of base elementsand a cross member, said base elements being formed of sheet metal having a web portion and peripherally extended lateral flanges, the medial portion of which denes a loop to receive the base of one of said uprights, the channel portion of said uprights being arranged to receive an end plate extended from said cross bar in nested position therewith, and tie members to join said web of said base material, an upright and an end plate.

HERMAN GREEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,692,999 Siegel Nov. 27, 1928 1,824,444 Mueller et al Sept. 22, 1931 2,027,790 Schneider Jan. 14, 1936 

